The Province’s Steve Ewen serves up his annual list of the top 25 players in the WHL. The season kicks off Thursday night …

The hardest part of coming up with the top-25 players list in the WHL this season is determining the problem-solving abilities of Gary Bettman, Donald Fehr and their cohorts.

Ryan Murray, the Everett Silvertips defenceman, is one of the most complete players to come through the major junior ranks in some time. The White City, Sask., native even represented Canada at the senior men’s world championship last year, becoming the youngest player to don the Maple Leaf at the tournament since some 18-year-old lad named Paul Kariya did it in 1993.

The Columbus Blue Jackets made Murray the second overall pick in the June draft and, in a year when the union and owners were playing nice, a soon-to-be-19-year-old with Murray’s skills and savvy would be playing in the NHL. Heck, if they get this collective bargaining agreement sorted out soon, he could wind up there still.

Here’s a bet that there’s no NHL this year. Sorry.

There will plenty of WHL, though, and here’s one take on the best players in the league this year, starting with Murray.

1. Ryan Murray, D, Everett Silvertips

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Murray has drawn comparisons to Scott Niedermayer, with NHL Central Scouting’s B.J. MacDonald going as far as saying that Murray, too, “just does everything under the radar and so smooth you hardly notice it.” He’s better defensively than offensively but in a 2011-12 regular season shortened to 46 games due to an ankle injury and world juniors, he still produced nine goals and 22 assists. More than anything, he gives a young Everett team a role model, no matter how long he’s there before moving to Columbus.

2. Griffin Reinhart, D, Edmonton Oil Kings

Not surprisingly, this son of a former NHLer has hockey smarts; one rival GM said Paul Reinhart’s No. 2 boy “is always in the right position.” He takes up a good chunk of real estate in those positions, too, with a 6-foot-4, 202-pound frame. With that size and skill, it feels like Reinhart (Islanders, fourth overall, 2012) was just touching the tip of the iceberg numbers-wise last regular season, when he put up 12 goals, 24 assists, a plus-23 rating and 38 penalty minutes in 58 games. It’ll be interesting to see what the 18-year-old from West Vancouver learned from last year’s playoff run, which saw him score three times and add seven assists in 24 WHL and Memorial Cup games combined.

3. Morgan Rielly, D, Moose Jaw Warriors

After the thinking man’s D and the big, rangy D comes the slick, quick D, the guy who makes the 3-on-2 a 4-on-2 and sneaks into the net on the power play. As one rival GM says of Rielly, “He wants the puck all the time.” The 6-foot, 200-pound Rielly (Maple Leafs, fifth overall, 2012) missed more than five months of league play last year after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament. Too bad. He had started strongly, with 18 points, including three goals, in 18 games. He did come back for the playoffs and had three assists in five games for the Warriors, and NHL people obviously aren’t worried about the health of the 18-year-old from West Vancouver.

4. Ty Rattie, RW, Portland Winterhawks

The league isn’t just defencemen. Rattie (Blues, second round, 2011) drew comparisons to Mike Bossy from one rival GM, while another said that the 19-year-old could score 75 goals this season. The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder from Calgary did put up 57 goals and 64 assists in 69 regular season games last year, putting him third overall and making him the top returnee. He also produced 19 goals and 14 assists in 19 playoff encounters for good measure.

5. Mathew Dumba, D, Red Deer Rebels

Thanks to the evidence provided via YouTube, this 18-year-old isn’t nailing as many monster, open-ice body checks as he did when he broke into the league. But don’t kid yourself; opposing forwards are skating on eggshells when they know the 6-foot, 183-pound Calgary native is in the vicinity. Dumba (Wild, seventh overall, 2012) also has rival netminders wary of his big blasts from the point. They led him to 20 goals and 37 assists last year in 69 regular season games.

6. Seth Jones, D, Portland Winterhawks

He’s yet to play a game in the league, but one exec insisted that the son of former NBAer Popeye Jones is better than even Murray right now. Most other people concede that he’ll need a break-in period. The 6-foot-4, 206-pounder from Plano, Tex., is pegged as a possible first overall pick for the 2013 NHL entry draft due to his combination of size and athleticism. As one rival GM explained of the 17-year-old, “He’s unreal. He’s physical and he’s got great mobility, great agility for a big man.”

7. Hunter Shinkaruk, LW, Medicine Hat Tigers

Was he a benefactor of playing with Emerson Etem last year or is he the real deal? The 17-year-old Calgary native, one of the top prospects for the 2013 draft, put up 49 goals and 42 assists in 66 league games last year playing largely alongside the all-everything Etem, but he also followed that up by supplying eight points in six games sans Etem with the Canadian Under-18 team over the summer. For what it’s worth, the 5-foot-10, 175-pounder has drawn some comparisons to Patrick Kane.

8. Brenden Kichton, D, Spokane Chiefs

The 20-year-old Kichton (Islanders, fifth round, 2011) could be playing in the minors this season but, for reasons only known to the Islanders, the Spruce Grove, Alta., native didn’t ink a contract. The Chiefs couldn’t be happier. They get back the reigning Western Conference defenceman of the year, and their leading scorer from a season ago, when he put up 74 points, including 17 goals, in 71 games. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Kichton did miss all but one playoff game with a broken jaw, but is said to be healthy.

9. Ryan Pulock, D, Brandon Wheat Kings

Pulock is a big shot in part because of his big shot. The 6-foot-1, 211-pound Grandview, Man., native is pegged as a top-15 pick for the 2013 draft and a main reason is his boomer from the point. The 17-year-old produced 19 goals and 41 assists in 71 games last season. Keep in mind he made the Eastern Conference first all-star team last year, ahead of the likes of Reinhart.

10. Derrick Pouliot, D, Portland Winterhawks

Another fancy, puck-moving rearguard, Pouliot (Penguins, eighth overall, 2012) should see his numbers increase as the 18-year-old’s expected to take over the power play quarterback duties from Joe Morrow, a fellow Pittsburgh prospect who’s expect to play his overage year in the minors. The 6-foot, 194-pound Weyburn, Sask., native produced 11 goals and 48 assists in 72 regular season games last year, then had three goals and 14 assists in 22 playoff match-ups.

11. Mark McNeill, C, Prince Albert Raiders

A WHL exec called the 19-year-old the “most underrated kid in the WHL,” but here’s a bet that won’t last long this year. Prince Albert should be a team on the rise, and the 6-foot-1, 211-pound McNeill plays in all situations for them. McNeill (Blackhawks, 18th overall, 2011), who was born in Langley but grew up largely in Edmonton, produced 31 goals and 40 assists in 69 regular season games last season.

12. Henrik Samuelsson, RW/C, Edmonton Oil Kings

It’s not surprising that Ulf Samuelsson’s boy has a mean streak; this 6-foot-3, 216-pounder was suspended four times by the WHL after joining Edmonton midway through the year from Sweden. Unlike dear old dad’s defensive ways, this 18-year-old can score. Pittsburgh-born, Arizona-raised Samuelsson (Coyotes, 27th overall, 2012) tallied seven times and had 16 assists in 28 regular season games, then followed that up with four goals and 10 assists in 17 WHL playoff games and a team-high two goals and three assists in four Memorial Cup encounters.

13. David Musil, D, Vancouver Giants

Word is that his shot has improved over the summer, which should help the 19-year-old’s offensive totals, which included six goals and 21 assists in a regular season cut short to 59 games, largely due to a wrist injury. Stats aren’t the forte of this Calgary-born, Czech-raised rearguard, though. Musil (Oilers, second round, 2011) should be one of the top shutdown defencemen in the league, with his 6-foot-4, 203-pound frame, his active stick and increasingly edgy demeanour.

14. Michael St. Croix, C, Edmonton Oil Kings

The Oil Kings have the makings of being a dominant team again and the 19-year-old son of former NHL goalie Rick St. Croix should be one of their gunners. The 5-foot-11, 179-pound Winnipeg native supplied 105 points, including 45 goals, in 72 regular season games, then put up 19 points, including seven goals, in 20 WHL playoff games. St. Croix (Rangers, fourth round, 2011) was held to one assist in four Memorial Cup games.

15. Curtis Lazar, C, Edmonton Oil Kings

He’s one of the younger players on this list, at just 17, but WHL people frequently use the word “complete” to describe his game. Lazar, a projected top-15 pick in the 2013 draft, counted 20 goals and 11 assists in 63 regular season games with the Oil Kings in 2011-12. The 6-foot, 189-pound Vernon native had an impressive eight goals and 11 assists in 20 WHL playoff games. He had one assist in four Memorial Cup games.

16. Duncan Siemens, D, Saskatoon Blades

Siemens (Avalanche, 11th overall, 2011) is a 6-foot-4, 209-pound potential headache for opposing snipers. The 19-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., is a steadying influence on a Saskatoon team that will play host to the Memorial Cup this season. His offence is improving, too; he scored a career-best six goals, to go along with 22 assists in 57 regular season games in 2011-12.

17. Laurent Brossoit, G, Edmonton Oil Kings

The 19-year-old from Surrey, who has listed both Marc-Andrey Fleury and Carey Price as role models, was particularly good when it mattered for the Oil Kings, fashioning a 16-4 record, a 2.04 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage in the playoffs. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Brossoit (Flames, sixth round, 2011) was 42-13-2-3, with a 2.47 GAA and a .914 save percentage in the regular season.

18. Colin Smith, C, Kamloops Blazers

Smith (Avalanche, seventh round, 2012) has said that he thinks he’s quicker after a busy summer of workouts. Opposing defenders won’t like that, after the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder from Edmonton produced 35 goals and 50 assists in 72 regular season games a campaign ago. The 19-year-old also had three goals and seven assists in 11 playoff games.

19. Brendan Ranford, LW, Kamloops Blazers

You could argue he deserves more credit. The 20-year-old could challenge Rattie for the scoring title, but is well down this list. Ranford followed his 33-goal, 53-assist 2010-11 campaign with 40 goals and 52 assists in 69 league games last season and still wasn’t signed by the Flyers, who drafted the 5-foot-10, 182-pounder from Edmonton in the seventh round in 2010.

20. Marek Tvrdon, LW, Vancouver Giants

When he’s right, the 19-year-old Slovak can have opposing defenders flailing away with his patience with the puck. Tvrdon (Red Wings, fourth round, 2011) bagged 31 goals and 43 assists in 60 regular season games in 2011-12. The 6-foot-2, 217-pounder had a good chemistry last season with Brendan Gallagher, and looks to have found a connection with new Euro Ales Kilnar.

21. Victor Rask, C, Calgary Hitmen

The 6-foot-1, 192-pound Swede is a “dynamic player,” according to a rival GM. The 19-year-old Rask (Hurricanes, second round, 2011) seemed to adjust well in his first season in the WHL, producing 33 goals and 30 assists in 64 league games.

22. Brendan Leipsic, LW, Portland Winterhawks

He can get lost a little in all the talent in Portland, but the 5-foot-9, 170 pounder from Winnipeg has skill, evidenced by his 28 goals and 30 assists in 65 regular season games a campaign ago; and he has some grit, witnessed by his 82 penalty minutes. The 18-year-old Leipsic (Predators, third round, 2012) also had seven goals and eight assists in 20 playoff games.

23. Lukas Sutter, C, Saskatoon Blades

His 165 penalty minutes last year in 70 league games prove that he’s got some of his family’s renowned grit, but the 28 goals and 31 assists show that Rich Sutter’s son has touch, too. The 18-year-old Sutter (Jets, second round, 2012), a St. Louis-born, Lethbridge-raised youngster who checks in at 6 feet and 205 pounds, has had 27 fights over his first two years.

24. Andrey Makarov, G, Saskatoon Blades

The Russian was the Blades’ MVP last season, after going 29-21-1-1 with a 3.01 GAA and a .913 save percentage. The undrafted 19-year-old (6 feet, 180 pounds) will be key to whatever hopes the Memorial Cup hosts have. He’s used to the pressure, having playing with the Russians at the world juniors last season. This week, he signed with the Buffalo Sabres.

25. Eric Comrie, G, Tri-City Americans

The Americans thought enough of the 17-year-old from Newport Beach, Calif., that they traded Drew Owsley prior to last season to give him a share of the goaltending job, then traded Ty Rimmer this past season to give Mike Comrie’s half-brother the whole enchilada. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder, pegged as one of the top goalies to go in the 2013 draft, was 19-6-1-1, with a 2.67 GAA and a .900 save percentage in 31 regular season games last year.

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